Adairville

January 10, 2013

Good morning Adairville and Logan County,

As Minnie Pearl would have said, “I am so proud to be hear.” I feel good. In fact with the continued lose of weight I feel even better. It is amazing what loosing extra weight can do for your health, ability to get around and attitude in general. So I am very happy and ready to write this column today.

A LITTLE HISTORY I have been asked to comment a little more on some of the early folks that settled here in Logan County, so I will try to do so. It has long been a question in the minds of some, why so many old named families from the original colonies would settle in Logan County. Here is one or two of the answers.

For many years Adairville was a frontier town. One of the most western in Kentucky. Early settlers moving westward would often stop off in Adairville before moving further west. They stocked up on necessities here before their final move westward. Thus Adairville developed shops and businesses that catered to the pioneers. There were blacksmiths, several tin shops (there were at least 25 items made of tin that were needed by the settlers such as wash pans, tubs of all sizes for the purpose of watering the stock to taking a bath and so on), cloth and clothing stores, lantern, candle and kerosene shops, wooden kegs, wagon and wagon supply shops, oxen, horses, mules, milk cows, chickens and even dogs sold. There was a feed store that sold flour, mill, sugar, feed, seeds and plants. Adairville frequently was the last stop before the long haul further west.

Back in the east in what had been the original 13 colonies and first states of the new United States of America were the growing families of our founding fathers and mothers. They followed old English law were in the oldest son got almost everything when the parents died. The younger children usually got a stake to start off with but were on their own to make it in this world. Thus it was that no less than five nephews, nieces and cousins of President George Washington moved to Logan County. Vice President Aaron Burr had at least four relatives to move to Adairville. In fact probably at least ten or more prominent families from the Revolutionary War and the founding of our country moved to Logan County and to the Adairville area. These families were some of our earliest merchants and or “big” farmers. They were the ones who built our first plantations and hand made brick homes. They were the ones who had the money to open the businesses and to help develop our town and county. They also brought the idea of schools for the children and thus we also had some of the earliest academies on the frontier.

NEWS OF THE DAY The new city council holds their first meeting Monday evening at 7 p.m. at the Adairville City Hall. The issue of another increase in the water rates is on the agenda. (It is interesting that since selling our own water department that offered some of the lowest water rates in the state that we now have some of the higher rates in the state - certainly west of I-65 Interstate.) The offices of economic development say that potential businesses look at the cost of utilities in determining were they will locate.

City water bills are due by the 20th before penalties.

The Adairville Post Office has a new “officer in charge.” She is Kathy Shelton. She is married to Greg Shelton and is from Franklin, Kentucky. She said between she and Greg that they have seven children and nine grand children. She told me she loves working with and meeting people. She also thinks the people in Adairville are great. Stop in and meet this fine lady the next time you are in town.

Melonie Manley of the Family Resource Center at the Adairville School wants to thank the generosity of the Adairville Citizens for their donations in helping more than 75 plus students have a better Christmas. Without the donations most of these students would not have had a very good holiday.

“Dolly Adairville” at the Adairville Senior Citizens reports that due to increasing costs that the 10 county area is having fund raisers. Now is the time that our local chapter needs donations. What ever you can give. You can stop by the Adairville Senior Citizens just across the road from the Adairville School, make a donation at the Lewisburg Banking Office or at The Adairville City Hall.

The City Hall also has cook books available for $10. The proceeds go to the Senior Citizens program. The Senior Citizens Center also has smoke detectors available for individuals 60 years old and older. Some of the local churches and civic organizations in the community might take up an extra offering to help the center during the months of January and February.

The Adairville School has a busy schedule:

- Jan 10 School Spelling B.

-Jan 11 Basketball Home Coming - play Omstead.

-Jan. 14 8th grade night. Play Auburn.

-Jan. 15 Site Base Meeting.

-Jan. 17 Last home game with St. Joseph.

-Jan. 21 Martin Luther King Day school closed.

WITH A SMILE I have a new kitten. I had forgotten all the mischief they can cause. First thing after the Christmas tree went up I discovered ornaments disappearing. Within a week all the ornaments and decorations on the lower third of the tree were gone. (I eventually fond them under my bed in her hiding place.) Then a week ago I went to sit down to write a column for the paper and I sat on the cat. Thank goodness the chair has a lot of padding. She never made a sound and was not hurt. She did use the bathroom when I sat on her so I had to change cloths. I guess I could have been mad but I wasn’t. I just laughed and wrote it all off as another of life’s experiences.

TIME TO GO Good night to Jon & Teressa Aaron the first people listed in the phone book, Phil Zorn the last person in the phone book, all the school cafeteria works in the county (they do a great job every day), to sweet Bertie Angel and to Mrs. Calabash where ever you are.